Learning to Trust
by VGenesis
Summary: With his little sister to support and no more than a few dollars to his name, Joey has no choice but to turn to Kaiba for help. This is a tale where hidden truths are revealed, desperate measures are taken, innocent victims are kidnapped and frozen hearts are thawed. Puppyshipping.
1. Chapter 1

Stumbling towards his door, Joey had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Surely it couldn't be her. She lived on the other side of the country. And that was to say nothing of the fact that their mother took every opportunity to keep Serenity away from her brother.

However, as Joey emerged at the top of the staircase, Serenity flew into his arms. It was only a few moments later that he realised she was crying. Terrified, Joey felt his heart freeze. Then his eyes came alive with determination. No matter what the problem was, he would solve it. He would walk through fire if it meant seeing Serenity smile again.

So with a small smile of his own, Joey led his sister gently to his apartment and sat her down on the sofa. After feeling his cheeks burn at the fast food containers and other rubbish that almost concealed the bare bones of his apartment, he focused his gaze back on his sister. He had never seen her looking so miserable.

"Hey sis, I know you're worried and all but you got to remember that I'm here for you. Always have been. Always will. So just tell me what's going on and we'll get through it together."

Serenity surveyed her brother through large green eyes and burst into tears once again. "Oh Joey, it's so awful. There was…an accident…and mother… mother…." Joey felt his eyes widen. This couldn't be happening.

It had been no surprise when his father had passed away last year as a result of liver cirrhosis. In fact, after a life spent staring at the bottom of a tanker, the only surprise was that he hadn't bit the bullet sooner. But their mum had been the sensible one.

When they were little, she made sure they ate their five a day, stayed away from too much sugar and always carried out their daily exercises. She led by example and had the healthiest of lifestyles. At first, she had cared for both children with unadulterated love and affection. But then she started noticing small signs that Joey took after his father. He had the same crooked smile, the same habit of rubbing a finger over his nose when he was embarrassed and the same stubbornness behind his eyes. That was when he became a lost cause. That was when she had cut him out of her life, taken her daughter and run for the hills.

Joey had always resented his mother for taking Serenity away from him. For leaving him, a child at the time, with only a violent drunk for his support. But still, he had always respected her lifestyle and appreciated the love she gave Serenity. She deserved that. So it was with a heavy heart that he took Serenity in his arms and held her close to his heart.

It was then Serenity found the confidence to tell him the reason she had travelled all the way across the country. "We had never had much money, mother and I. We always had enough for a bowl of soup and a roof over our head but that was it. It was only when her money was transferred to my account that I realised how little we really had… I combined that money with every penny I had saved over the years and that was just about enough to get me here. Now I have nothing."

Joey felt fear grip his heart like a vice. He wanted to tell his sister that everything would be ok. That he would support her for as long as she needed. That money wasn't an issue. But that would be a lie.

It had been three years since he had graduated and during that time he had established a pretty decent reputation as a professional games tester. The title sounded lame but it actually took quite a bit of expertise. He had to know how to find the bugs, work through all the options available to the player and think about how to enhance the demographic of the game and distinguish it in the market. However, as Kaiba Corp grew in size, the other game makers went out of business one by one. Kaiba either bought them out or produced competing products which left them with no choice but to surrender. Joey had lost his last job a month ago and was currently facing eviction if he didn't cough up some cash pretty damn quick.

Joey felt a chill run down his spine as he thought through his options, or lack of them, as the case may be. Yugi was on yet another worldwide tour and wouldn't be back in the country for months. Tristan was now working with the military and would be out of contactable range for the foreseeable future. Tea was currently in France studying dance with a top Parisian ballet company. Glancing towards an old school photo, Joey saw just one face who could save him. A face that had left him with no option but to crawl for him to help. A face that could make him want to howl with rage. A face that could make his blood boil in his veins. But what other choice did he have?

So with a sigh of resignation, he gently stroked his sister's auburn hair, "Don't worry sis, I'll look after you. No matter what I have to do."


	2. Chapter 2

Seeing rivers of sweat pouring down the face of the young man in front of him as he tried and failed to keep his hands from shaking, Kaiba fought to restrain a sigh. "Thank you for the report. You're free to go." With barely a murmur of thanks, the nervous man in question almost tripped over his feet in his hurried attempt to make it out the door.

Spinning his chair so it faced the window behind him, Kaiba felt his gaze linger on the two businessmen leaving the building, heading out for lunch. They were Kaiba Corp employees from the design department. He had hired them both two years ago and they had been having weekly lunches ever since. Sometimes they would return with leftover Chinese, sometimes leftover pizza. He always wondered if they ate the leftovers themselves or shared them out amongst their colleagues.

He didn't really know what was happening to him. He never used to notice his employees' relationships. Let alone observe them with such attention. But now it was constantly on his mind. How often did they talk at work? Did the departments arrange socials? If so, what did they do? Go bowling? Eat out? Party? Did they really like each other or was it just expediency?

He knew he was going mad when he decided to ask one of his colleagues out for lunch. His name was Sebastian and he was head of programming. A bright spark, he had risen swiftly through the ranks and, at the tender age of 25, he outranked those old enough to be his grandfather. With their top ranking positions and an age gap of just four years, Kaiba assumed they would fall easily into conversation. Unfortunately all had not gone to plan.

He had taken Sebastian to a fancy Italian restaurant and allowed him to order whatever he wanted. But Sebastian was too afraid of him to eat anything. He simply stared at his food as a means of avoiding eye contact. It wasn't that he was too intimidated to speak freely, it was that he was too intimidated to speak at all. Kaiba had wasted an hour of his life trying and failing to make small talk with this increasingly terrified programmer. It was only when the large patches under his armpits were starting to produce an unpleasant smell that he gave it up as a bad job. But secretly he was fuming. Seto Kaiba never gave up. And Seto Kaiba never failed. And yet in a single hour he had done both.

Looking at the clock, he noticed it was eight o'clock. A Friday evening. Growing up, he had never wondered how his peers spent their Friday evenings. But now he did. Were they eating pizza? Watching a movie? Dancing?

After carefully monitoring his surveillance cameras to make sure that no one was approaching his office, he quickly opened a drawer. A drawer that contained one of the few treasures he possessed. Inside was a photo of his class just before he left school at the age of 16. Why bother with grades and pop quizzes when you were already CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world? He could have left earlier but found that something (or someone) had always prevented him from doing so.

In the photo, he was standing next to a boy whose eyes were alight with a fire that never went out. They appeared amber in the photo but he knew they were actually a rich honey brown. Blonde hair hung messily around his face and instead of looking at the camera, he was looking directly at Kaiba, mouth open. It looked like he was in the middle of one of his idiosyncratically inane comments. Kaiba himself was looking at the camera with a signature smirk on his face. However, his eyes held a light which had long since died away. Looking closer, he noticed that his entire body was tilted towards the blonde.

Closing the drawer, Kaiba searched his computer for something that would distract him for a few more hours. There was no one waiting for him to return home. His little brother had moved to England to launch Kaiba Corp's new London office and although Kaiba had been reluctant to let him go, he accepted that his little brother needed his space. He had spent so long in his older brother's shadow that distance had become necessary if he was to develop his own personality and business acumen.

But still, Kaiba couldn't help but wonder at the sharp pain that tore through his chest every time he thought of the big, empty mansion that awaited him. He could have sold it, of course. Bought an apartment near his office. But that would be like admitting to his loneliness. Besides, he still lived in the (possibly deluded) hope that Mokuba would get homesick and return. The mansion had seemed the perfect size for two people. But for one it was simply unbearable.

After drafting a report, sending off three emails and reviewing a two hundred page document, Kaiba called it a night and forced himself to enter the mansion he could no longer think of as home.

Well, that's chapter 2! Please let me know what you think by reviewing. All reviews will be very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in his life, Joey Wheeler skipped breakfast. The only thing that could be worse than grovelling to Seto Kaiba would be grovelling and then puking over him. He decided to get it over with first thing in the morning. He would grovel. Kaiba would mock him and say no. Joey would have no choice but to break his promise to Serenity.

NO! He just couldn't let that happen. He wasn't going to leave Kaiba's office until he had gotten what he came for. He may be a professional underdog but the underdog always came up trumps in the end. Didn't he?

Several hours later, Joey was growing increasingly infuriated. First, Kaiba had been at a meeting across town, then he had a conference at Kaibaland and now that he was finally back in the office, his prissy receptionist was refusing to even tell him about Joey. "I keep telling ya, this is an emergency! We're old pals and he'll want to see me!"

Miss Priss gave him a look of pure scorn that she had clearly learnt from her boss, "And I keep telling you, Mr Wheeler, that Mr Kaiba is a very busy man with a packed schedule. He won't have time to deal with you. Besides, he doesn't have friends so you must be lying about that part."

Joey felt his mouth drop open. Sure, rich boy had always treated his little group kind of badly but he had always assumed that he had his own group of corporate scumbags who he took out for fancy dinners and classy wine tasting events. The fact that he had no friends at all was almost horrific.

Realising she had made a slip, Miss Priss tried to get rid of the blonde visitor for the umpteenth time. However, it was to no avail. "I don't care how much you want me to leave. I'm not going anywhere till I see rich boy." Kaiba might have come in some back door but Joey knew for a fact that his limo picked him up right outside the building. That meant he would be leaving out of the door right in front of Joey. Even if it took all day and all night, Joey wasn't leaving his seat till he had a chance to see moneybags.

It was three o'clock in the morning when Kaiba finally decided to head towards the large double doors at the front of the building. It had been a long day. Some rumour had led to a fall in Kaiba Corp's share price and he had to spend the day denying the rumour and spreading some rumours of his own regarding future expansion to send the share price spiralling up once again.

Moving quietly through the Reception, a glimmer of gold caught his eye. Moving over to the waiting area, he began to think that the long hours were causing him to hallucinate. Curled up at the end of a long, plush couch was a young man with floppy golden hair, a lean body and an all too familiar face. He was wearing an ill-fitting blue pinstripe suit that seemed to be several sizes too big for him and a look of apprehension. As he was fast asleep, Kaiba could easily get away undetected but he found himself transfixed by the vision in front of him. It was baffling. Why would the mutt come here? What was with the outfit? What had upset him?

Against his better judgement, Kaiba cleared his throat loudly. When that yielded no result, he said in a raised voice, "I thought mutts were supposed to sleep with one ear open."

Joey eyes snapped open in a manner that could only be described as comical. He then proceeded to roll off the couch and fall directly at Kaiba's feet. "At his master's feet, once again." Kaiba couldn't help it. It had been years since he had felt like this. And it had been months since he had been able to talk to someone in this office with warming familiarity.

Instead of running away, as Kaiba half expected him to, Joey jumped to his feet and leaned towards him, "It's been years Kaiba, haven't you got bored with those dog jokes yet?" For some unknown reason, this made Kaiba feel even more elated. Maybe it was because he had always played the role of father to Mokuba and Joey represented the brother he never had. But then why did his blood pump faster around his body and his breath catch every time the blonde moved towards him?

Suddenly all the fight went out of him and the blonde staggered back a few paces. That was unusual. "Kaiba, I'm sorry about that." Even more unusual. What was puppy up to now?

Looking straight at Kaiba, Joey's face contorted with pain, "Kaiba, please, I need a job." Kaiba felt his heart harden. Of course, he needed money. How foolish of him to think otherwise. What other reason would he have for coming to see him?

Two years ago, an aunt twice removed on his mother's side contacted him and invited him round for tea. Being a fool, he accepted. He thought she must have some information about his deceased mother that had only just come to light. Or maybe she had some pictures or something else to pass along. However, he had been sorely mistaken. She had wanted money. She bored him with some sob story about her husband's redundancy and how they would have to leave their five bedroom house in the middle of the suburbs.

Kaiba had felt his blood run cold with hatred. This woman had known they were related. She would have known when they were homeless and had nowhere to go but that atrocious orphanage. She had more than enough space and money to take in two boys who had recently lost their parents in a tragedy. But instead she had contacted him now. Now that he was rich and she needed something.

He didn't remember what he had said to her but he did remember the nightmares that kept him awake for months afterwards. Disturbing, techno coloured dreams of snakes that morphed into flowers and then back into snakes.

Sending Joey the most poisonous look in his possession, Kaiba managed to spit out "Get out. Now." But Joey didn't move. Before he even knew what was happening, Kaiba had Joey pinned against a wall, his body crushing the smaller boy, "Why should I do anything for you, you little leech? It's always take, take, take. That's all you people do. Well guess what. I have nothing left to give."

Then came the flash of insight. Suddenly Joey saw the world from Kaiba's perspective. A world where you were the number one target for everything. And for one reason. Money.

Kaiba had definitely enhanced all their lives. He had introduced the technology that had brought duels to life. He had built the Kaiba Dome. He had hosted some of the Duel Tournaments that had made Joey the duelist (and person) he was today. But what had Kaiba received in return? Money. That was all. Sure, Joey and co had offered him friendship in the past but only now he understood why Kaiba had been too stubborn, too cynical, too damaged to accept it.

Almost as if he had felt Joey probing in his mind, Kaiba pushed him away. "I can't employ you." Joey shook his head. "Yes, you can. It isn't for me, it's for Serenity. I need a job to support her. We have no one else. You know how that feels. I know. So please, help me. And I'll do whatever I can to help you in return."

Kaiba scoffed, "I don't need help from anyone. And even if I did, you're the last person I would turn to. I have no problems. I don't need help. And I certainly don't need help from some loser mutt."

As he turned to go, Kaiba felt his locket bounce against his chest. It was the card-shaped locket that held Mokuba's picture. Reluctantly, he recalled the feeling of helplessness when Mokuba and himself were left at the orphanage following the death of their parents. He had protected Mokuba from the bullies but couldn't get him away from them. He couldn't give him better food or toys or the chance to be part of a normal family again.

Turning back to the mutt, he realised with horror that his large eyes had filled with tears and were glowing amber. Just as they had in the photo. Absently, he wondered what strong emotion he had been feeling at the time. It certainly hadn't been sadness. Whatever it had been, he knew one thing. It had been directed at him. He had been raised to believe that every single person was alone in the world. But in that photo he hadn't been alone. Joey had been right there next to him.

Hearing a sniff, Kaiba found himself unable to walk away, caught between his own stubbornness and the boy who seemed to understand him better than anyone but Mokuba. It may have been an act but he couldn't say for sure.

Almost against his own volition, Kaiba felt his mouth forming words, "Fine. You can have a job. I'll pay you enough to support yourself and your sister. Come see me tomorrow with a CV and I'll find a place to put you."

Seeing Wheeler's face light up like a kid on Christmas morning, Kaiba felt the need to mitigate his kindness, "But if I hear you've been causing trouble or scrapping with the other employees or acting like the dog you are, I'll make you regret the day you were born, Wheeler."

And with those words, he stormed out of the building before he could say or do anything else that contradicted his lifelong philosophy of misanthropy.

Ok guys, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with this fic so if you like then review!


	4. Chapter 4

"Joey, I'm scared." It was Serenity's first day at her new high school and she looked downright terrified as she gazed at the tall building in front of them. Joey smiled gently at her, "Don't be silly, sis. You've been in much scarier situations than this. Remember that time you took your bandages off after your eye operation even though you were afraid you still wouldn't be able to see? Well, if you can do that, you can do anything."

Serenity smiled back faintly, "I don't know what I would do without you, big brother." And giving him a kiss on the cheek, she left the car and walked slowly towards her new school. Once Serenity was no more than a blur in the distance, Joey felt the smile slide off his face. He had focused so much on staying positive for Serenity that he had almost forgotten what the morning held in store for him. He had to meet with Kaiba in the slim hope that he was still willing to give Joey a job. Thinking about it, Joey thought a few rounds with Zorc, the epitome of all evil, might just be preferable.

He didn't know whether Kaiba would deny the events of yesterday entirely or give him the worst job imaginable. Cleaning the toilets, perhaps. However, if he did keep his word and give Joey a job, Joey sure as hell was going to do it. No matter how embarrassing, no matter how demeaning, he would give it one hundred and ten percent.

And with that thought in his mind, he marched past the receptionist who had given him such trouble the previous day and pressed the button in the elevator which would take him up to the very top floor, where Kaiba would be waiting for him.

After spending just an hour in his empty mansion, Kaiba had ordered his limo and very tired limo driver to take him back to his office. There was no way he was going to get a wink of sleep that night. Yet even in his office, the same thought kept running through his mind, "Why on earth had he just agreed to help Joey Wheeler?! He should have just paid him off and sent him for the hills. But no. He had offered to give him a job. What a fool."

And where was he going to put him? That was another question. He couldn't imagine the mutt being good at anything worthwhile. He had probably spent the last few years serving burgers or some other sort of greasy fast food.

That was why it was such a shock when he received Wheeler's CV. His eyes widened and he was forced to swallow the many dog-related insults he had been preparing to unleash. Not only was the mutt a qualified game tester, he had received glowing recommendations from all of his previous employers.

Suddenly, Kaiba felt a twinge of… something. He had given Wheeler such a hard time but in reality he had been left with no choice but to come to him. Not as a friend but as an employer. Kaiba had single-handedly put all the other game manufacturers out of business, leaving Wheeler with no choice but to approach him if he was to continue along his chosen career track.

"Oi, richboy, are you finished yet? Didn't think it would take you five minutes to read a page." Kaiba dropped the CV in the wastepaper basket next to his desk, ignoring the cries of its owner. "As I expected, a useless CV from a useless mutt. However, I gave you my word that I would find a place for you in my organisation so that's what I'll do." And with that, he stalked out of the room.

Kaiba smiled to himself as Joey rushed to catch up with him and jumped into the elevator just as the doors were closing. "Do you have to be so dramatic, richboy?" Joey was panting but suddenly a grin spread across his face and he looked up at Kaiba with an expression of nostalgia, "You were always so dramatic. Remember that time Miss Krable said you had got an equation wrong in math class? You went to the front of the class and proved your answer on the black board. Then you pointed at her and said she was a phoney and was better off teaching nursery kids."

Kaiba shrugged, a carefully calculated look of nonchalance on his face. He couldn't remember what he had said exactly but he did remember that Joey had given him a grin and a thumbs up when he walked past him on his way back to his desk. Of course, Kaiba had ignored him and kept walking but secretly he had been pleased. Why? He had no idea.

Once again, Kaiba ignored the blonde and instead walked out of the lift as it opened on the fourteenth floor. "This is the game testing studio." As predicted, Wheeler's face lit up. Kaiba was used to this expression. He wore it whenever anyone mentioned a duel." For a moment Kaiba was jealous. Wheeler had found a profession that he thoroughly enjoyed. No wonder he had been so successful. Then Kaiba stopped himself. There was no way he was going to let himself envy a no-good, third-rate duelist like the pup. He, Seto Kaiba, was infinitely more successful. Not to mention the CEO of the most successful gaming company in the world.

Moving over to one of the men standing behind a monitor, Kaiba introduced the boy behind him, "Clarke, this is Joey Wheeler. He will be working in your department. Make sure you tell him everything he needs. And Wheeler, don't screw this up. One mistake and you're out."

Just as he reached the exit, he stopped. "Richards, come with me." A middle-aged man in a white lab coat followed him into a small room at the end of the corridor. "Richards, as usual, your reports have been truly excellent. Detailed, accurate and always insightful." Richards turned bright red and grasped a wall for support. The most he had received from Kaiba in the past had been "Good work."

Kaiba smiled at him, "Because you have earned my trust, I have a very important assignment for you." Richards looked up at him with adoration, determined to prove to the great Seto Kaiba that he was worthy of the honour being bestowed upon him, "Anything, anything at all." Kaiba smiled, people were so very predictable.

Joey glanced up at the clock and gasped. How could it be eight o'clock already? Then again, he had been totally absorbed in his task and hadn't looked at the clock for more than five hours. The games at Kaiba Corp were of a much higher quality than those he had tested in the past. The picture, the sound quality, the screenplay – it was all excellent. Not that he would tell richboy. But still, he had thoroughly enjoyed his first day.

The drawback to such high quality games was that it would be harder to find faults. However, that didn't mean it would be impossible. Joey had tested the game in question from all angles until he had found some potential subtle flaws. Sloppy games were easy to critique. Highly sophisticated ones were not. But Joey wasn't going to complain. He loved a challenge.

Wiping his head, he looked around the room. Unsurprisingly, he was the last one there. Or so he thought. Just as he was checking he had everything he needed before he set off, a man stepped out from behind a monitor and gave Joey the fright of his life. At Joey's strangled cry, the man put up his hands and looked apologetic, "Sorry to startle you, Joey. I got so engrossed in my work that I didn't even realise someone else was here."

Joey grinned at the man as he felt his heart rate return to normal. "Ah, no worries, pal. It was the same with me." Joey cocked his head in curiosity. Although the man was smiling, Joey thought he saw a trace of apprehension on his brow. Then again, he had never been good at reading emotions. He was probably mistaken.

"Er… Joey…" Ok, the guy was clearly nervous. "I was wondering… if maybe… you would… perhaps…like to get a drink with me?" Joey took a nervous step back. Was the old dude asking him on a date? Seeing the fear in the blonde's eyes, the man let out a laugh that seemed almost forced, "No, no, not like that! I just meant, as colleagues. You could tell me how you found your first day."

Joey shifted from foot to foot. On the one hand, he wanted to make a good impression and integrate with the department. But on the other hand, Serenity would be waiting for him and he didn't want to worry her. Sensing Joey's dilemma, the man smiled at him. "Don't worry if you need to go. We'll all be heading to the pub after work on Friday. We can catch up then." Joey smiled. That he could manage. "That sounds great. See you tomorrow!"

Just as Joey was about to leave the room, he remembered something, "Hey! I never asked you your name!" The man smiled at him and walked forward with an extended hand. At close proximity, Joey found himself wondering how he managed to keep his lab coat so white. If he had a lab coat, it would be covered in grime and all sorts of strange stains within a day. The man grasped his hand warmly, "My name is Max, Max Richards."

Kaiba had recently installed a new system which required all employees to use their KC identity card to enter and leave the building. Not only would this enhance security, it would also allow him to determine who was in the building at any given time. He could call up his employee database and the photos of present employees would be edged in green and the photos of absent employees would be edged in red.

He was slightly surprised when Wheeler's light remained green after six. He expected the mutt to rush out the door the minute the working day ended. But when it was still green at eight he found himself checking the database every few minutes. "Focus!" He told himself sternly. But he still found his thoughts drifting back to Wheeler. When his light finally changed to red at quarter past eight, he could no longer restrain his curiosity and immediately contacted Richards for a report.

On seeing the trembling man, Kaiba feared the worst. Had Wheeler blown up the games testing lab? "Richards, I'm looking forward to another one of your detailed reports." Max Richards took a step back from Kaiba's desk and looked at the floor, "Joey Wheeler is clearly an accomplished games tester. He found a number of subtle design faults which we had all previously overlooked. He also came up with a number of interesting suggestions which we will consider presently. He is a team player and I'm sure he will become a valued member of our department."

Kaiba surveyed the man coldly. "I was expecting a proper report. Not this garbage. Quite frankly, I think I may have overestimated your abilities."

Max Richards looked mortified. "I said I wanted to talk with him. To find out… other information. The type you wanted. But he said he had to get home to his sister. I didn't think it would be fair…"

Kaiba's expression softened infinitesimally. "Very well. I expect better from you in the future." A look of pure relief settled over the man's features, "Yes sir, of course!" And with that he scurried out of the room.

Kaiba looked out of the window, sorry that he had missed Wheeler's exit from the building. Wait. Why on earth was he sorry about that? He had better things to do than obsess over certain third-rate duellists. Now, he was going to regain his focus and complete this report without any more distractions. But just one hour after he made that promise to himself, he found himself staring at the employee database once again. Or rather, a certain employee on that database. Closing down the database, Kaiba punched the wall. What could possibly be wrong with him?" 

And that's chapter 4! Review for continuation as I'm still not entirely sure whether the plot I've thought up is strong enough. Also, I would be extremely grateful for any ideas/suggestions you might have. Thanks for reading


	5. Chapter 5

Hi guys – thanks so much for the reviews, they really inspire me to keep writing!

MegaMovieMonday – thank you so much for your kind words. I think one of the hardest parts about fic writing is staying in character. I believe it's Joey's wild temper and Kaiba's cold reserve which makes them such a great pairing – opposites attract, right? However, this also presents a number of pitfalls for any aspiring fic writer – glad you think I'm doing a decent job thus far!

Right, now back to the fic. We return to the Kaiba Corp building where the aforementioned temper of our favourite blonde is just about to be triggered:

Joey growled as his headset was pulled off and his morning's progress was lost. "Damn it, Julian. I was in the middle of something there! What were you thinking?" Just then, an all too familiar face appeared before him and he had to fight back a scowl.

"Careful, Wheeler. Don't forget what I said about scrapping." At this, Joey couldn't help but let loose another growl. Kaiba laughed, "Growl away pup, it's not going to change a thing."

Joey stopped growling and felt his hands curl into fists, "Don't you have a company to run or something? Or are you going to keep on stalking me?"

Kaiba smirked, "Actually, mutt, I believe you are now part of that company. So running my company unfortunately means running into you. My game testers are a vital part of Kaiba Corp's success so I need to keep a close eye on their work."

Joey didn't look convinced, "So are you here to look at our notes? Or maybe tell us new information?"

By this point, the room was completely silent. Every eye was focused on the duo and the other employees were barely daring to breathe. They had never seen anyone challenge Seto Kaiba and they were expecting a violent and explosive dismissal. That was why Kaiba's response shocked them to the core.

Kaiba smirked once again, "I don't need to answer to you, pup. Now get on with your work and try and play nicely with your fellow workmates or you'll be on the street before you can say "Barney's Burger Barn". Joey opened his mouth to reply but by this point Kaiba had already disappeared.

Collapsing into his chair, Kaiba let out a sigh of relief. That had been a close one. Over the past few months, he had been collating quite a bit of information about Wheeler. He now knew about his background, his social life, his eating habits and everything else there was to know. What surprised him was his level of interest in the mutt's affairs and the way he would obsess over each little piece of information.

The latest snippet of information was that Joey's favourite restaurant, if it could be called that, was Barney's Burger Barn. He ate there whenever he could and every Saturday evening he would order a double cheeseburger, heavy on the ketchup hold the mayo, and a side of fries. The thought of such greasy, low-class food made him shudder. Kaiba only realised that the name was still at the forefront of his brain when it slipped out of his mouth.

Kaiba may have managed to escape before he could make any further slips but there was another problem that needed to be rectified. Since when had he become so damn interested in Wheeler? Every time Richards fed him a particularly interesting piece of information, he had been given a pay rise. The man now earned as much as some of Kaiba's top ranking employees. Kaiba had no idea why he was so riveted by the pup but he knew it had to stop. It had even begun to affect his work life.

Before Wheeler had forced himself into Kaiba's life, Kaiba would spend his entire day behind his desk. He would receive emails from employees but very few ventured into his office. In fact, he could go for days at a time without seeing a single employee. But that had now changed.

At first, he told himself he was just checking up on Wheeler to make sure he wasn't causing chaos. He wouldn't have put it past the pup to bring down the entire Kaiba Corp empire with his stupidity. But it soon became clear that Joey Wheeler was actually a pretty competent games tester and there was really no need to waste time supervising him. So why was he always drawn to the fourteenth floor. Sometimes, he would find himself heading down in the elevator without even realising he had left his desk. It was turning into a sort of compulsion. And it had to stop.

The worst part about it was that it was beginning to take up a great deal of his time. Not the trips to see Wheeler. They lasted just a few minutes. But he couldn't just drop in on the games testing department and ignore the rest of the building. That would be too suspicious. So now he was doing spot checks on many of the other key departments as well. His development, marketing and production teams all received regular visits.

Sighing he looked up the efficiency rates of the departments he was now visiting. Surely the efficiency would have dropped now that the employees viewed Kaiba as an actual human being rather than an elusive god-like figure. To his shock, the efficiency rates had risen. Staring at the screen, Kaiba shook his head. It really was rather strange.

Looking out of the window, Kaiba saw two men walking side by side and eating the sloppiest burgers he had ever seen. He wondered briefly if they came from Barney's Burger Barn but then quickly berated himself for the thought. Wheeler was contaminating his mind like a disease. If he was to have any hope of recovery, he would have to cut Wheeler out of his life completely.

Seeing a tall brown head bobbing along the top of the consoles around him, Joey grinned. He should have known that rich boy wouldn't be able to stay away for long. Wait a minute, since when was he glad to see Kaiba? Ah well, maybe he just needed a break. He had been testing this game for two hours already. Unable to focus on his work, Joey followed that brown head in anticipation. Any second now.

As the brown head came into view, Joey's smile slipped off his face. It was just Jacob, a new member of the IT department. Damn it. He had been so sure it was Kaiba. Joey slammed his fist against the side of the console. What was wrong with him? He had spent the last three weeks obsessing over Kaiba. Sure, Kaiba might have been Joey's employer, but was it really necessary to think about him every few hours?

Looking up at the clock, Joey decided it was time to leave. Thinking about Kaiba made him lose his focus for some reason. Entering the lift, he ran into Nancy from the marketing department. "Hey Nance. How's it going up in marketing?" Nancy was a really sweet girl with a flair for innovative new marketing campaigns and strategies. "Not bad, Joey. We haven't seen Kaiba recently though. Has he visited your department over the last few weeks?" Joey shook his head, sadly.

Nancy frowned, "He never visited any departments before you came along. Then he started visiting us every few days. Now, nothing. It's really quite strange. Hey, you coming?" The elevator had reached the ground floor and Nancy had left the elevator. Joey shook his head, "Nah, I have someone I need to take care of. See ya!"

Standing outside Kaiba's office, Joey figured that he needed to get his head examined. He had a job he loved, great colleagues and a decent wage. Why on earth was he jeopardising that with this blatant lunacy?

Yet even with those thoughts running through his head, he was unable to stop his hand from knocking. The cold voice that bid him to enter should have sent him running a mile. But it didn't. Edging inside the room, he fought to stop his mouth dropping open in shock.

The last time he had been inside this office, it had been impeccable. Not even a paperclip was out of place. This time it was a completely different story. Papers were scattered haphazardly around the room, pens were lying everywhere and, most shockingly of all, the remains of a burger lay just behind the computer. As Joey moved forward, his shock turned into disbelief as he realised the hamburger came from his own favourite restaurant.

Seeing Joey eying his hamburger, Kaiba narrowed his eyes in disgust, "I see you're eying my leftovers mutt. Want me to fix you a doggy bag?" Joey stepped back. Kaiba had never before spoken to him with such apparent loathing. Sure, he had taunted and teased him in the past, but it had all been in good humour. This was not.

Unsure how to proceed, Joey decided to get straight to the point, "Look Kaiba, I only came here to make sure you're ok. No one's seen you for weeks and we were getting worried. But I'll leave if you're busy."

Kaiba laughed maniacally. "Ha! I would be fine if it wasn't for you. I was fine for years till you barged your way into my life. Now everything is a mess and it's all your fault!" Joey backed away even further. Clearly Kaiba had lost his mind and needed to see a shrink pronto.

As he made to escape the office completely, Kaiba leapt towards the door and pinned him against the wall, "Oh no you don't. I'm going to make you pay for ruining my life." And with that, he slammed the blonde against the wall once again. It was only when he heard the unmistakable crack of a bone that he came to his senses and released his captive.

Standing back, he looked upon the smaller boy in horror. What had he just done? And why? But before he could say or do anything, Joey sent him a look of pure betrayal and shot out of the door, moving surprisingly fast for someone who had to be in a great deal of pain.

Looking at his hands in disbelief, Kaiba was frozen in place. It was only a few minutes later when the fog enveloping his mind began to clear that he realised it was not fear for himself that had left him immobilised. At first he had told himself it was fear of liability that was terrifying him. He may be able to escape criminal charges with his name and status but the PR would be terrible if the truth got out.

It was only as Joey's look of betrayal kept replaying itself in his mind that he realised the true cause of his terror. And with that, he rushed off to order his limo driver to take him to the cheapest supermarket in Domino City. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late.

Thanks for reading! As usual, review for continuation.


	6. Chapter 6

Speeding through traffic, Kaiba closed his eyes and titled his head back against the seat. He was still in shock about what he had just done. Casting his mind back over the past few weeks, he tried to pinpoint the reason underlying his brutal act of aggression. It may have been unintentional but he knew that he was not a physically violent person and he had always used his wits rather than his fists to win an argument. So why had Wheeler been an exception?

Three weeks ago, he had decided to go cold turkey and cut Wheeler out of his life completely. It hadn't been easy but he managed to go three whole days without hearing Richards' reports, without looking at his face on the database and without visiting him on the fourteenth floor. But on the fourth day he started suffering withdrawal symptoms.

He was twitchy, jumpy and couldn't concentrate for more than a few minutes. He therefore decided to allow himself to monitor the times Wheeler entered and left the building. It was work-related, after all. That satisfied him for a few days but then his condition worsened once again. Seeing the times Wheeler was coming and going only made him wonder what he was doing.

Did he stay late because he was talking to his workmates or because he was working? Why did he never arrive late to work when he had always been late for class? Did he leave early on Fridays so he could see his sister or so he could see his friends? Or did he take the night off and curl up on the sofa? These questions buzzed through his mind like a family of angry wasps. And he had to know the answers.

This resulted in Richards being employed once again in the capacity of personal detective. He revealed Joey's history, habits and plans. In spite of the fact that Richards was extracting this information on Kaiba's behalf, Kaiba found himself getting irritated by the intimacy of the man's relationship with Joey. They really were friends. He could see it in his eyes. For some strange reason, this made him want to throw Richards off the top of the Kaiba Corp building, consequences be damned.

Over the last week, things had spiralled even further out of his control. He demanded daily reports with more details than ever before, he found himself trying out some of Joey's habits for himself and his own work had started to slip. Well, that wasn't strictly true. The quality of his work remained the same. But he found that he couldn't be bothered with tidying up or organising. Why waste time filing when he could be reading about Wheeler's hilarious encounter with the bee hive and the pitbull terrier?

He supposed he could get an assistant but that would be like admitting that he now had other interests in his life beside work. Besides, his office was his sacred space. If he allowed another person in, it would never again be the same. It would no longer be his. It would be theirs. And the uncertainty of that type of future scared him beyond belief. Not that he would admit it.

So when the puppy came looking for him and caught him sampling one of his own signature burgers (a truly revolting experience), Kaiba had reacted the only way he knew how, with hostility and aggression. And now he had to fix it.

Pulling up in front of the supermarket, Kaiba gathered his courage and forced himself to enter the shabby looking shop. Everything inside was sold in bulk but the wholesale prices meant that the food was incredible value for money. In spite of himself, Kaiba found himself feeling proud of his puppy for discovering this obscure shop. It was certainly an economical choice.

Scanning the isles for a glint of gold, Kaiba felt his insides freeze with fear. Where was he? According to Richards, Wheeler came to this supermarket every Monday evening to purchase supplies for the coming week. So why wasn't he here?

The answer hit him as he saw a stooped blonde figure slump into the shop. He was leaning heavily on a shopping cart and his features were almost distorted with pain. Of course, Joey had taken the bus to the shop whilst Kaiba had driven there at top speed. Kaiba was obviously going to get there before him, especially in Joey's current condition. The walk from the bus stop to the shop must have been unbearable.

Slipping behind a pyramid of baked bean cans, Kaiba watched as Joey struggled down the aisle, cradling one of his arms. Kaiba knew he wouldn't have gone to a hospital. Medical treatment was expensive and Joey wouldn't dream of putting his needs above those of his sister. Feeding his sister would take priority over his own agonising pain any day. Following in the wake of his pup, Kaiba felt something squirm uncomfortably inside him. That damn burger, he thought to himself.

As Joey hobbled down the pasta aisle, he forced himself to focus on Serenity. Pasta was her favourite food which she would eat three times a day if he let her. Tonight he was planning on cooking fettuccine with prawns and scallops in a mornay sauce.

Those who assumed that Joey couldn't cook hadn't met his dad. After spending the majority of his money on booze, he would stagger home around midnight and pass out on the couch. The fact that Trevor Wheeler had never even bothered with groceries, let alone meals, meant that Joey had been forced to fend for himself. The silver lining was that his repertoire of meals was pretty damn impressive. In fact, Serenity had told Joey that his food was the best she had ever eaten.

Smiling to himself, Joey tried to keep her face in his mind. He managed this for only a few moments before it morphed into Kaiba's. Pushing his cart faster, Joey tried to escape from the thoughts that had been hounding him ever since he left the office. The physical pain he could deal with. Joey had been beaten up much worse and had lived to tell the tale. No, it wasn't the physical pain that bothered him.

It was how unexpected the whole incident had been. Kaiba and Joey had never seen eye to eye but deep down Joey had trusted him implicitly. They had saved the world together on more than one occasion and had stood side by side to battle the darkness. Joey didn't know what he had done to deserve the hatred that had had flashed in Kaiba's eyes as he pinned him to the wall. Don't think about it, he told himself sternly. He hates you, you hate him. That's just the way it is. For some reason, this thought made him want to howl in misery.

Clutching his chest in agony, Joey realised that his vision was beginning to fade. As the world turned black, his knees gave way and he slipped into unconsciousness. But for the shortest of moments before he was lost to darkness, he thought he felt strong hands catching him and holding him with surprising gentleness. But that was probably his overactive imagination.

That's all for now folks! Read and review for continuation


	7. Chapter 7

The waiting room of the most expensive hospital in Domino City was entirely empty as Kaiba crossed and re-crossed his legs in mounting impatience. As soon as he had arrived, he had insisted on escorting Joey to the hospital's most exclusive room, the room where Mokuba had stayed last year when he had undergone his tonsillectomy.

Seeing a doctor hurrying towards him, Kaiba fought to rearrange his features into a look of casual nonchalance, "So, what's the news on Wheeler?" The doctor's eyebrows pulled together in an expression of concern as he took a seat next to the young CEO, "With regards to the fracture, we've put his arm in a cast and it will heal in time." After a moment of hesitation, he added, "It may not be my place to say Mr Kaiba, but I hope you've punished the perpetrator of this violent act. They've put Joey in a great deal of pain." Forcing himself to maintain a neutral expression, Kaiba nodded at the doctor, "Believe me, the man in question is most certainly suffering."

Nodding grimly, the doctor brought out an x-ray from the folder balanced on his knee, "When determining the extent of his injury, we decided to take an x-ray of his arm. But the results were quite shocking. Can you see all those little lines on the bone? They indicate breakages that were not splinted and which healed poorly. I cannot speak definitively about Joey but in the majority of cases, this x-ray would indicate that the patient had been a victim of systematic abuse."

By this point, Kaiba's mind was reeling. Systematic abuse? Wheeler? No. It couldn't be true. Wheeler was nothing if not a fighter. He had fought tooth and nail to save Serenity from blindness and had been prepared to risk everything to protect Yugi from harm. Only then did Kaiba realise that he had never once seen Joey fight to protect himself, only the people he loved. Before he knew it, Kaiba was on his feet, "I need to see Wheeler. Now."

Bursting into Joey's hospital room, Kaiba saw the puppy he had injured staring miserably out of the window, "I hope Serenity is ok. She'll be wondering where I am." Turning to face his guest, Joey's face crumpled visibly, "Oh, I thought you were the nurse."

Seeing Kaiba move towards him, he flinched and his uninjured hand shifted to hover protectively over his ribcage, "Haven't you done enough damage already?" His voice was uncharacteristically quiet and lifeless, "And you can take the medical costs out of my wages. I'm no charity case."

Kaiba wavered uncomfortably. He wanted to tell Joey that it had been a mistake and he was truly sorry. He wanted to tell Joey that he admired that way he put everyone's needs before his own. He wanted to tell Joey how he would do anything in the world to regain his trust. But he was fettered by own pride and his words were lost in a sea of uncertainty.

Instead of the intended apology, a question rose to his lips, "Who was hurting you?" Joey's eyes hardened, an invisible wall coming up between them, "That's no concern of yours, Kaiba." His body had hunched in on itself and he suddenly looked like a child. Kaiba felt his heart twist and once again he fought to keep his face from revealing the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Fine with me. I don't care anyway, mutt. This envelope contains compensation for your injury, and any resulting emotional distress." The envelope contained a cheque to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars. But Joey didn't even look inside. Instead he threw the money at Kaiba's feet, "Did you honestly think you could throw money at me and I would forgive you just like that? You haven't a clue. I'm not one of your corporate flunkees. I'm your…" But he never finished his sentence. Instead, he jumped off the bed and ran out the door.

Cutting him off at the hospital entrance, Kaiba crossed his arms and adopted his coldest expression, "You're my what, Wheeler?" But Joey simply shook his head.

"As your employer, I order you to answer!" Kaiba's frigid façade had begun to crack and his eyes had taken on a somewhat manic look as he demanded an answer from Joey.

But Joey shook his head yet again, anguish carved into his features, "It isn't… I'm not… You're not my employer anymore. I quit." He attempted to dodge past Kaiba but Kaiba continued to bar his way, a foreign note of hysteria colouring his typically deadpan voice, "No, you can't. If you quit then I'll make sure no one employs you and Serenity will be forced to live on the streets." The threat was way below the belt and he knew it.

For the second time that day, Joey sent Kaiba a look of pure betrayal. "Fine." All the fight seemed to have gone out of him and his voice returned to the limp, lifeless sound from before, "Have it your way." And with that, he limped off into the distance.

Exciting news – just finished planning the rest of the chapters for this fic (should be 12/13 in total) and can't wait to get on with writing them up! If you've stuck with this fic so far then thank you, hopefully it's been an enjoyable read.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks again to everyone who has been reviewing – you are my inspiration! :D Oh, along with a certain brown eyed puppy and a cold hearted CEO of course ;)

And so we return to the less glamorous side of Domino, an area stacked with high-rise apartments and towering manufacturing plants…

As the familiar sight of his apartment block came into view, Joey felt like crying with relief. Determined to put as much distance as possible between himself and a certain CEO, he had dragged his weakened form down random streets for almost half an hour before realising that he was completely and utterly lost. He had wondered the unfamiliar streets for an additional hour before finally reaching a bus stop and even then it had taken him two hours to reach his destination.

Pushing his apartment door open with the remnants of his strength, Joey was enveloped in a mass of ginger hair, "Joey! Where have you been? I was so worried about you! Oh my gosh, what happened to your arm? Are you ok?" By this point, Joey was struggled to keep his eyes open and had every intention of passing out on the couch. That was, until he realised that there was someone sitting on it.

The man had the stiff, polished look of a professional and his large black briefcase stood threateningly on the coffee table. Feeling his energy return, Joey shifted his body so that he was shielding his sister from view. He then narrowed his eyes at the unexpected visitor, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Well, as I was just telling your sister, my name is Lee Jacobs and I work with the Domino Debt Collection Agency. I have some urgent business to discus with you regarding your deceased father. Won't you have a seat, Mr Wheeler?"

Refusing to move an inch, Joey felt his hands curl into fists, "You're a bit late, pal. He died a year ago."

Lee nodded in assent, "Yes, I am aware. However, although he is no longer with us, his debts unfortunately are." Correctly interpreting Joey's look of confusion, Lee continued with his spiel, "When he passed away last year, we intended to come to you, his last remaining family member, to settle all outstanding sums. However, your mother got in touch with us just hours after his death.

She said that she wanted you to finish your education and that she would make payments to us in your place. This was not standard protocol as she had not been married to the deceased at the time of death and was not a blood relation. Nevertheless, she argued so fiercely that we agreed to her proposition. Unfortunately, she had paid off just half the debt by the time of her death. This means we have no choice but to collect the other half from you."

Following this speech, Joey remained motionless for several minutes as he attempted to absorb the information he had just been told. His mother, who was struggling to support herself and the daughter she loved, had fought to protect Joey. She had allowed him to graduate and gave him the chance to start a decent life. The fact that he would never be able to thank her pulled at his heartstrings.

Blinking rapidly to prevent the tears in his eyes from spilling down his cheeks, Joey tried to focus on the situation at hand, "So, how much do I have left to pay? I'd like to settle everything right now."

After sending Joey a sympathetic look, Lee opened his briefcase and extracted a huge bundle of papers. "These are the debts that still remain. In total, they amount to two hundred thousand dollars."

Joey felt his eyes widen in horror. How had his father managed to accumulate so much debt in just one lifetime? Then he remembered, his father had gambled. He had done it at the house on a few occasions and had always lost vast amounts of money. Over the years, his debts would have increased at a rapid pace.

Trying to keep his voice calm, Joey looked steadily at the man on the sofa, "I can't give you that much right now but I'll pay it all off eventually. I've got a decent job and if I'm careful then I'll be able to pay it all off over time."

Hearing Joey's calm words, Lee suddenly looked like he wanted to cry, "I admire your determination, Mr Wheeler. I really do. Very few people of your age could receive this type of news with such composure. But unfortunately it isn't that simple. One of the debts was made to a man known only as "The Viper". He leads one of the most brutal gangs in Domino and has a reputation for violence and destruction. He has evaded police detection for many years and is known to do awful things to his enemies."

Passing a sheet to Joey, Lee continued hesitantly, "Over the course of his lifetime, your dad borrowed one hundred thousand dollars from the Viper. Two months before he died, the Viper started to get angry regarding the lack of repayments and forced your dad to sign this."

Looking at the paper in his hand, Joey saw his father's written promise to pay everything back within exactly one year. The document was dated 31st June.

Feeling his blood run cold, Joey looked at Lee with desperate eyes. "But my dad's dead! And the Viper doesn't know about Serenity and me! We should be safe…"

Hearing Joey's words, Lee buried his face in his hands. "Oh Joey, I'm so so sorry. He heard about your father's death a few days ago. He then broke into my office when I was working late and threatened my family. He said he would kill them all if I didn't tell him who your father's next of kin was. I had no choice but to tell him about you. He said that you were to pay him in full by the 31st June this year, otherwise he would kill you and everyone you loved. I wish I could tell you how sorry I am."

And with that, Lee Jacobs broke down into tears whilst Joey stared vacantly into space. His world had just come crashing down around him and he was trapped under the rubble. This time, there would be no way out.


End file.
